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[Andy H]

I have bought a new thermostat (& seal) to fit on my 2.6 because it isn't warming up properly.

Several years ago I had the engine out and rebuilt the top end on my old 2.5 V6 so I know I have the tools and the skills to do the job but...... last week I jacked up the front of the car, put the wheels on ramps and crawled underneath in readiness for draining the coolant. By now it was 4pm and I needed the car in the morning for a 500 mile round trip so I closed the bonnet, dropped the car back onto the ground and went back inside for another cup of tea.

I am going to allow all day to do the job but I am curious as to what the official time allowance is?

[rustym95]

a good cup of hour's if it works first time getting the air out may take longer, would flush the systerm out at same time, may make it easyer to bleed.

[Matchless]

A couple of hours or all day, it depends if the b@5Xard bolt comes out without a fight and if the extension pipe pulls out of the thermostat housing easily.

If the extension pipe is corroded in you can cut the old thermostat housing to release it.

[VX1]

Have a look at this link it may help you in knowing how long it will take.......

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1229464812

[Andy H]

Have a look at this link it may help you in knowing how long it will take.......

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1229464812

Thanks for that link

[CaptainZok]

According to TIS 2.6 hours.

[Andy H]

According to TIS 2.6 hours.

Excellent! that was the 'official' figure I was looking for. I will time myself & report back. I suspect it will take me 3 times as long

I don't suppose the TIS time includes tea breaks..........

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

I don't suppose the TIS time includes tea breaks..........

 Or time spent ferreting on the floor looking for a dropped socket, or finding plasters when you've gashed your hand.  8-)

[Andy H]

4 hours so far, I would have started earlier but the rain didn't ease off till about 11am.

Major time wasters so far:
1. Undoing the lower inlet manifold one of the socket screws hung on to the star bit for a moment and then disappeared down the back of the engine with a musical tinkling noise. I haven't found that one yet
2. The bastard bolt (and his little brother). I hadn't realised that there was a second bolt attaching the dip stick to a little bracket that clamps behind the bastard bolt. I undid both. Don't know where the little bracket went........
3. The water transfer tube put up a good fight but is out now and I found the little bracket 

[Andy H]

8 hours, shattered.

When I bought the thermostat (from a Vauxhall main dealer) I asked for coolant as well. I was sold 3 one litre bottles of pink 'genuine Vauxhall long life coolant'. I assumed that the paperwork on the side would have some useful information about the recommended concentration but it doesn't

I was going to thoroughly flush out the old coolant and fill up with new pink stuff but Haynes claims that the system holds 9.7 litres and 3 litres of concentrate (assuming that it is concetrante :-/) doesn't seem enough so I put the old stuff back in.

Not sure what to do now. The bottles don't have any useful instructions on them and I can't even work out what the part number is....

[wakeyomega]

Hi Andy
I use a 50/50 mix of vauxhall pink. I bought two 5 litre bottles part number 93165162. I used the residual to create a 50/50 mix of top up for the following 2 years. Well done with beating the stat!

Pat

[Andy H]

Thanks Pat

I think I will go and get a 5 litre bottle and use that to refill after flushing out the old stuff then use the litre bottles for topping up.

[Boatboy]

Snap. Took me 8 hours yesterday as well and I was also a touch fatigued to say the least. 2.6 hours my tush. Not helped by the weather not sticking to the forecast and drizzle down my neck most of the day.

My time wasters were:-

1; Removing the hose clamp on the transfer pipe, so much so that I ended up cutting the hose off only to find its a 'dealer only' item. That's on order but for the meantime I have used the shortened pipe which is just hanging on with a jubilee while I run a flush or three.

2; Losing the small bolt that holds the a/c pipe support to the head. After checking all the important places I cut down a handy bolt and fitted that, only for the original to drop to the floor when I started up.

3; My work area is a communal parking area, so I have to be civil to interested neighbours etc. At least the rain kept them moving.


The infamous bolt was not too much bother as I followed the tip on here and got myself a 10mm pivoting ratchet spanner and came at it from behind, although the poxy loom is an annoying obstruction.

Must say it was not a job I was looking forward too and maybe that approach meant I was in a foul mood all day.

Lets hope it stays done for a while.

Steve

[Andy H]

Spooky

I needed to get mine finished for a run up to Snorbans tomorrow.

Spent this morning refilling the coolant. Topped it up 3 times so far & it stinks of antifreeze but I am hoping that it is just the smell from when all the coolant in the top hose and transfer pipe splashed down the side of the engine.

I went and bought a tool for releasing the spring hose clips but it was no use on the transfer pipe because it is too close to the cambelt cover and dipstick so I ended up using mole grips and swore at it a lot. that seemed to help

[Marks DTM Calib]

Lol, amateurs!

You could strip the engien and re-assemble in that time scale to give better access